An ongoing journey through substance abuse and eating disorders.

Spiritual Experience

A ‘spiritual experience’ is often mentioned in recovery programs, particularly those of the 12-step ilk. In my entire life, I have never had what I would call a ‘spiritual experience’ until this last Saturday night.

I wasn’t at an AA meeting or Refuge Recovery or any typical place. I was at the Movement Center and taking part in the ‘eyes open’ meditation, being run by Swami Chetanananda. The way things work there is that one isn’t supposed to discuss in detail whatever one might experience. Let’s just say, the whole thing was very weird and I have no explanation for it, other than that the spiritual work performed there is real.

I’ve always been a skeptic. I have an MS in physics and have long hewed pretty close to ideas that can be empirically proven. I really am at a loss to explain what I experienced Saturday night, but I’m sold. That same ‘class’ is offered three nights each week and I intend to be at every one I can attend. Swami Chetananda is present at relatively few but I went again last night, with someone else presiding, and, while not as pronounced, I had another similar experience.

I’m really looking forward to what this potentially might do for me in terms of enabling me to handle, and hopefully eliminate, the host of self-destructive tendencies I have.